Structure of Sc₂O₃ films epitaxially grown on α -Al₂O₃ (0001)

Authors

A.R. Kortan, OFS Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey
N. Kopylov, OFS Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey
J. Kwo, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin Chu, Taiwan
M. Hong, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin Chu, Taiwan
C.P. Chen, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin Chu, Taiwan
J.P. Mannaerts, National Tsing Hua University, Hsin Chu, Taiwan
Sy_Hwang Liou, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

January 2006

Comments

Published by American Institute of Physics. Appl. Phys. Lett, 88, 021906 (2006). ©2006 American Institute of Physics. Permission to use. http://jap.aip.org/jap/.

Abstract

The crystal structure of scandium oxide films epitaxially grown on α -Al₂O₃ (0001) under an ultrahigh-vacuum is studied by single-crystal x-ray diffraction. The Sc₂O₃ film grows in bixbyite phase on the basal (0001) surface of the sapphire substrate with its (111) axis aligned parallel to the substrate normal. In-plane orientation of the film, however, exhibits two distinct growth directions that are defined by the two possible surface orientations of the stepped α -Al₂O₃ substrate. The atomic structure of the high-quality epitaxial film is fully relaxed and the film has unusual thickness uniformity.